Portable bath-mat.



No. 745,553. PATENTED B304, 1903. L W. E. ALLEN.

PORTABLE BATH MAT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 31, 1902.

no uoifm.

UNITED STATES Patented December 1,1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WI LLARD E. ALLEN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

PORTABLE BATH-MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,553, dated December 1, 1903.

' Application filed May 31,1902. Serial No. 102L774. (No model.)

To all; whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at T- ledo, in the countyof Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Bath-Mats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in portable bath-mats, and has for its object to spilling the Water,and safely carried to a place 7 portions suitably secured together.

emptying and then emptied as a vessel. A further object is to provide a device of the kind that may be folded and rolled into a compact package convenient for shipment or packing in a trunk.

I accomplish these objects by constructing my invention as hereinafter described, claimed, and illustrated in the drawings, in which- A Figure l is an isometric View of my invention ready for use. Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a mat'constructed in accordance with my invention when lifted with water therein by the radial cords. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the rim of the mat, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a mat provided with a modified form of flexible rim-supports and means for lifting the mat with water therein.

In the drawings, 1 designates the mat, which is constructed of a single square piece of impervious flexible fabric 2 and a rim-band 3, preferably securedtogether to form the mat, as hereinafter described. 7

Rim-band 3 isformed of a narrow strip 4 of flexible fabric doubled to one-half of its width and having the longitudinal marginal Strip 4 is of a length slightly less than the combined length of the edges of the square 2, so that when donbled, as described, and connected together at the ends to form the rim-band 3 the area that may be inclosed by the hand is less than the area of the square 2.

To secure the square 2 to the band 3, the square 2 is placed over the band 3, having the edge formed by the conjoined marginsof the strip 4 uppermost and with the central body portion of the square 2 sagged within the band 3 to the level of the folded edge of the band. Equal marginal portions 5 along the sides of the square 2 are then bighted over the top edge of the band, and the margin 5, the top of the band 3., and the body of the square are then stitched through or otherwise suitably secured together to form a rim 6, the corners of the square being suitably infolded to slightly round the corners of the shallow-cupped mat thus formed.

To support the flexible rim 6 so that the mat 1 will retain water when lying on the door and to provide means for lifting the mat with water therein, rim 6 is provided with eyelets 7 at regular intervals in the sides of the rim, through each of which there is secured-to the rim a cord 8, which is extended and secured to a common ring or other suitable connection 9 central to the square 2. Thus constructed it is manifest that the mat will in use retain a considerable quantity of water and that when lifted with water therein by the central connection 9 of the radial cords 8o 8 the mat will assume the conformation shown in Fig. 2, forming the radial outfolds 10 and infolds l1, and may be carried thus to the place of emptying.

To empty the water from the mat, the mat. is held suspended from its central connection 8 by one hand, and all but one of the outfolds 10 being gathered in the other the water may be as readily emptied through the free ontfold 10 as through the spout of a vessel. When the mat is emptied, it may be formed into a compact roll for shipment or packing in a trunk by first folding it one or more times to form either triangles or squares and then rolling it up and securing it in a rolled form by tapes, elastic bands, or other suitable fasten- 1ngs.,

In Fig. 4 I have shown a mat in which four triangular pieces 12 of suitable fabric with their apexes 18 secured to the central connection 9 and with their bases 14 secured centrally to the adjacent sides of the rim 6 of the mat are substituted for the cords 8. The pieces 12 are provided with perforations 15, which allow the Water to readily run through them when the bight, the band,and the body, to formarim the mat is lifted by the central connection 9. around the body; and flexible supports for the In this form of mat the water may be emptied rim radiating from a common connection cen- :5 from the mat and the mat folded and rolled tralabove the body and secured to the sides of 5 in the same manner as when cords are used. the rim at intervals substantially as shown What I claim to be new isand described, and for the purpose set forth. In a portable bath-mat, the combination of In witness whereof I have hereunto set my a flexible band with a central body of imperhand this 27th day of May, A. D. 1902.

vious fabric of larger area than inclosed by WILLARD E. ALLEN. [O the band, secured to the top portion of the Witnesses: t

band by a marginal bight of the body inclos- FRED E. MCGASKEY,.

ing the top of the band and stitched through EDITH SCHAEFER. 

